A Whole New World Out East

Life on Post. I found out right away what NOT to do when you're driving back on Post. You NEVER EVER want to turn onto Post without going through the security check point, which is across the street from the Post entrance. No, I didn't do this, but I've seen a few who have. Four large cement blocks come up out of the road and block you from entering. Then you're immediately surrounded by security guards and area law enforcement officers, who, if you get out of your car will yell, "Ma'am, get back into your car!" I love it when my friend, Melinda, tells this story! The security guards then proceed to search your vehicle and, after what must seem like forever, lower the cement blocks and direct you to a parking lot where they either reprimand you and/or inform you of the right way to get on Post!

Whenever we walk or drive off Post, we carry our military ID badges. Without them, you can't get on Post or purchase anything from the Commissary, PX or Class Six. I'm proud to say that I've yet to forget mine :-)

On Post there is a Commissary (grocery store), Post Exchange (PX) where you'll find everything from clothing to electronics, Class Six (liquor store)YIPPPEE, phenomenal gym, theatre, bowling alley, swimming pool, day care, post office and more. Right outside the gate is a two mile track that meanders around the 18 hole golf course. And, last but not least, the Tiki Bar -- ON POST!!!

Bugle Calls and Cannon Blasts.
Ahhhh...the sound of a cannon blasting at 6:30 a.m. is music to my ears...NOT! The cannon goes off and bugle calls take place at varying times of the day on Post. But the three most important times to remember are the "Reveille" at 6:30 a.m., "The Retreat of the colors" at 5 p.m. (1700) and "Taps" at 11 p.m. (2300). If you are outside during any one of these three time frames when the cannon goes off and bugle call is played, you must stop what you are doing and face the direction of the flag "atop the tallest flagpole on Post." If you are driving in a car, all occupants, with the exception of the driver, must get out of the car and face the direction of the flag. Luckily, I've been able to adhere to these rules without incident. And, am proud to do so. The other day at 5 p.m. I was outside when the cannon blasted and bugle began. As I stood still, I saw three young boys, around the age of 10, standing next to a tree playing ball. They stopped what they were doing, faced the flag and two of them put their hand over their hearts. I nearly cried.

Dress Codes. Thankfully, dress is more casual than I first expected -- at least for me. I am able to wear my Capri's and sundresses or skirts when I run around Post. It appears to be acceptable to wear my work out/walking clothes to and from the track and gym. I'm still trying to figure out what the dress code is for spouses when attending social gatherings and casual get-togethers. I'm sure by the end of the year I will have figured out the 'dress code" here (or they will have accepted mine). Tim, on the other hand, is adjusting quite well to getting all "duded" up every day for class where he is expected to wear dress pants, dress shirt, tie and jacket or a suit. And, if I might add, he looks pretty snazzy!

A Trip to Delaware. Our first week in Pennsylvania we drove to Delaware with Tim's Uncle Toby to see Tim's other uncle, Bryan (a.k.a. Onion) and his family. On the way there we drove across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It was absolutely beautiful. It was great to meet Tim's Aunt Susan and Uncle Onion and two of Tim's cousins and their families. I'm certain we will make the trip again to Delaware to see them while we're here.

The Appalachian Trail. We hiked 10 miles of the 2,100 mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Part of the trail took us through heavily wooded areas while other parts of the trail meandered through open fields. After our hike, we both agreed it would be fun to try and hike the entire 2,100 miles when we retire. We've got a few years to get into shape!


Rider Safety Course. Tim had to take the Riders Safety Course in order to get the stickers for the motorcycle that allows him to "legally" drive the Harley on Post. Without the stickers, the only way we could get on Post on the bike would be to say that we were 'visiting' friends or going to the PX, Commissary or something like that. I'm not saying we did this, I'm just saying that's what we'd have to do :-) But, after 16+ hours of rider safety training, Tim finished the course and got the stickers for the bike. We are now free to come and go as we please on the bike.

Boiling Springs Tavern.
Thanks to our friends back home in Iowa, Al & Lori and Ben & Beth, for recommending the Seafood Bisque at the Boiling Springs Tavern! It is to die for! The crab cakes were unbelievably awesome as well. We will definitely go back to the Boiling Springs Tavern which is just a few miles down the road.

No Pain No Gain?
Tim started softball practice last week with his seminar group. Each seminar group has their own softball team and all the students are required to participate. The seminars have been practicing away and games begin soon. During Tim's first practice, he went to scoop up a grounder with his glove but used his leg instead. When I asked what happened Tim said, "The ball took a wicked bounce." Ouch.

Proud to be a Smurf.
College Arms is the official name of the neighborhood where we live on Post. It is better known as Smurf Village because all the houses are similar in size (cracker jack box) and appearance. Jennifer, our friend from Oregon who lives in Young Hall, the apartments (more like flats) on Post, found these shirts at Target! Bill & Roberta and Tim & I wore ours to the Tiki Bar on Thursday. They were a huge hit with our fellow Smurfers! (I think those who don't live in Smurf Village are secretly jealous now).

Road Trip. Baltimore. Tim and I decided that we will take at least one weekend road trip a month while we are living out east. There are so many places to go, so many things to see and do. One year will never be enough time to get it all in. But, we will certainly take a stab at seeing as much as we can. Last weekend we drove to Baltimore, which took us less than 2 hours, and spent the night. During the day we toured the USS Constellation, which is most notably known for its mission off the coast of west Africa during the 1800's. It's mission was to "intercept vessels engaging in illegal slave trade." It captured three slave ships during that mission.

We spent several hours at the National Aquarium where we saw so many fish, sharks, dolphins, frogs and other water species, that my head was literally sloshing.


Fort McHenry.
We drove down to Fort McHenry where The Battle of Baltimore in 1812, against the British, was won by the Americans. This is also where Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that eventually became known as our National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

After the Battle of Baltimore, whenever a star or stripe was added to the American Flag, it was flown first at Fort McHenry before being flown anywhere else in the United States. Throughout history, this tradition has held true. Tim, along with other tourist, helped unroll a replica of the American Flag that was raised after the victory of the Battle of Baltimore.

In the evening, we walked to Little Italy where we found an outside festival with vendors serving every type of Italian food you could imagine. We chose calzones that were made right in front of us - dough and all, and a beer. We saw some commotion in a court yard and wandered over to see what was going on and found a traditional Italian game of bocce ball taking place. We sat with our beers and calzones, asked a few Italians how the game was played and watched our first ever bocce ball tournament. Later that evening we walked to Fells Point where we enjoyed another beer (do you see a pattern here?)at a fun bar called The Horse You Came in On.

To end the evening, we walked to the pier in Fells Point, sat on the dock and listened to live music as the sun set over the bay. Life is good.

First Month at the AWC

I can't believe we've been here less than a month! We've done so much!

Across State Lines. It seems like months ago when Barb and I were driving across the states, pulling the Harley behind us, with Tim and Toby in the U-haul -- all heading towards Pennsylvania, where Tim and I would begin our one year adventure at Army War College. Thank God for Barb and Toby who helped us unload, unpack and even decorate our new little home!

We're settled in and our little Smurf house is now a home. If we leave our front door open, which we often do, there is bound to be a visitor at our door -- many who have already become great friends.


Good Friends. We've spent alot of time with many of the Air Force, Army National Guard and Reservist that we met in April at orientation doing everything from hosting parties at each others place, golfing together, to meeting at the Tiki Bar on Thursday and/or Friday nights.

A Little History. We snuck away to Gettysburg for two days before Tim started classes and toured the battlefields which was quite touching to say the least. Tim gave me a short lesson in the history of the Civil War before we left. I was touched beyond words thinking about the sacrifices thousands of soldiers made during the Civil War to not only keep our country united as one, but to bring freedom to the slaves.

We toured the Jennie Wade House where Jennie, the only civilian to die, was killed by bullets fired during the battle of Gettysburg. It has been said that she was standing in the kitchen of this house, cooking, when a bullet travelled through TWO oak doors, hitting her in the back and piercing through her heart, killing her instantly.

The Beauty of Pennsylvania. One very warm and sunny Saturday, we invited Cedric, a Navy Commander, Special Operations Forces and AWC student and his wife, Cynthia to join us for a Harley ride to see some of the 150+ covered bridges in Pennsylvania. It was a great ride and the beauty of the Pennsylvania covered bridges and back roads was breath taking.

Week Zero. Tim started "Week Zero" this past week, which was basically meeting his other class mates in his seminar group, orientations, lectures on fitness, diet and health, spousal introductions and Seminar get-togethers. His normal dress code for classes is shirt, tie and jacket or a suit. But during Week Zero, he got to wear "Carlisle Casual" attire :-)

There are twenty 'Seminar groups' in the 2011 AWC. Each Seminar group consists of 17-20 AWC students who will be in the same class the first part of the year, working together on projects, study assignments, planning social events, etc. Tim is in Seminar 9 and the only Guardsman in his group. There is one Navy officer, one Air Force officer, one Marine officer, one Army Reserve officer, one female from the NSA (National Security Agency), three International fellows (Italy, Australia and Thailand), and 8 active Army officers.

Opening Ceremonies. On Friday, Opening Ceremonies, welcoming student and faculty and their families, took place at the Indian Field on post. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps marched onto the field first, playing traditional Revolutionary War period music. Following them was the Army Drill Team with a spectacular performance!

Boatyard Wars. Following the Opening Ceremonies was the infamous AWC Boatyard Wars down by the Tiki Bar and swimming pool. Each seminar group was given a sheet of cardboard and a roll of duck tape. They then designed a boat, that would fit two people to be raced across the pool. Each seminar group could 'win' additional items they might need like extra duck tape, balloons, and floating devices by answering trivia questions on a 'first come first serve' basis. A full blown picnic dinner was provided along with...yes, you guessed it -- several kegs of beer! Tim's seminar group's boat made it 3/4 the way across the pool before capsizing.

Saturday we rode in the American Red Cross run with friends we've met on post that have Harley's as well 120miles of pure Pennsylvania beauty.

Back to the Real World. Tim is now into Week One. The fun, lazy days of summer on Carlisle Barracks must come to an end, or at least slow down, while Tim dives into his studies. I'm sure we will still find time for our weekly trip to the Tiki Bar (good thing it's only open on Thursday and Friday nights)! And, of course, all those get-togethers with all the great people we've met on post will not come to an end -- there will be many MANY good times to come here at Carlisle Barracks!